Efficacy of rice cum dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) intercropping on weed control, growth, yield and economics of rice

Abstract

On farm trail was carried out during wet season of 2012 at farmer’s field of South Andaman. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with five replications. At, 20 DAT, higher weed control efficiency (WCE) (68.9%) was recorded in application of butachlor at 1.25 kg/ha at 3 DATfb hand weeding (HW) at 30 DAT (T3). This was followed by intercropping of dhaincha fb 2-4 D sodium salt at 0.5 kg/ha on 30 DAT (T4). Whereas, at 40 DAT, higher WCE registered under intercropping of dhaincha fb 2-4 D sodium salt at 0.5 kg/ha on 30 DAT which was onpar with application of butachlor at1.25 kg/ha at 3 DATfb hand weeding at 30 DAT. Significantly higher grain (5.23 t/ha) and straw yield (8.14 t/ha) was recorded withapplication of butachlor at 1.25 kg/ha on 3 DAT fb HW on 30 DAT (T3). This was on par with intercropping of dhaincha fb 2-4 D sodium salt at 0.5 kg/ha on 30 DAT (T4) led to 35.1 % higher grain yield over unweeded check. Application of butachlor at 1.25 kg/ha on 3 DAP fb HW at 30 DAT registered the highest net return (Rs.32650/-) as well as benefit cost ratio of 2.66.